Where the rubber hits the road

Distributing aid in the Bekaa Valley

The words of Jesus challenging his followers to love their enemies, and to pray for forgiveness as we forgive those who sin against, are much easier to hear in some contexts than others. The rubber really hits the road when we are confronted with people who we genuinely consider to be our enemies, or those who we really view to have sinned against us.  Acting on Jesus’ words in these circumstances is far more challenging and demands much soul searching.

Travelling in Lebanon recently, I was faced with this in a stark way.  For many Lebanese, Syrians are their clear enemy highlighted particularly by their involvement in the civil war that raged at the end of the last century and remains strongly in the minds of many alive today.  However, with war now raging in Syria, many Syrians are fleeing to Lebanon for safety and find themselves seeking shelter and aid from their historical enemy.  In this context I had the privilege of meeting with Christians who are taking Jesus’ words to heart and acting on them as they actively show compassion and care to their new neighbours.  Local churches have become focal points of the relief effort as Lebanon faces around a million Syrian refugees entering their land.  Such a practical response to the transforming power of the Gospel can’t but help to point people beyond the actions to the God who motivates and enables this.  The Christ-like response also gives hope to a world that is so often marked by deep division and hatred.